WAC is watching as Texas State announces stadium expansion

“I’m well aware of the plan that Texas State has for the future,” Benson said in a telephone interview. “I’m very impressed with what they’ve done and what they are planning to do. They certainly have a well laid-out plan.”

Texas State officials on Wednesday announced a $32 million project to increase seating at Bobcat Stadium to nearly 30,000.

As reported in the Local Scene blog last Friday, the project would add 13,500 seats to the home of the Texas State football team.

Officials said construction would start at the conclusion of the 2011 football season. Texas State athletic director Larry Teis said he hoped to have the project completed by the start of the 2012 season.

Benson applauded Texas State’s investment in the future.

“They have certainly made a substantial investment thus far, and they’re ready to make a substantial investment in the future,” said Benson, who has mentioned Texas State and UTSA as potential candidates for the WAC.

Texas State plays at the Football Championship Subdivision level in the Southland Conference.

The university set out a few years ago on a drive to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the top tier of NCAA football.

The WAC, an FBS conference, has lost three conference members this summer and is exploring the addition of schools to bolster membership.

Benson said the WAC would begin evaluations of potential members this fall. He said that “likely, invitations will be extended sometime in early 2011 — February, March, April — that type of time frame.”

He said membership for new members would be effective in the 2012-13 season.